Sunflowers
by XpaperplaneX
Summary: As punishment for disobeying orders, Sephiroth finds himself exiled to the backwater town of Nibelheim for the summer. Sixty days of boredom, bug bites, nuisance flowers, and one very obnoxious 'friend'. What could be worse?
1. Day 1

Sephiroth glowered at the water tower that loomed over him in the centre of the town. Of all the things that had happened to him, or had been done to him, rather, this was probably the worst. Well, probably not worse than some of the things Hojo had done to him in the lab. He hoped it wouldn't be, at any rate. Still. A man pulling a cart attracted his attention, and his eyes went wide. A cart! Next thing they'd be telling him that there were no cars at all here and he'd be stuck ... he spun on his heel and fixed his stare on the truck that was pulling away, pleading with the driver with his eyes.

Veldt smiled widely and waved at him. "Enjoy your summer, Sergeant! Perhaps next time you'll reconsider before disobeying orders."

"No! Wait!" he yelled, tossing his bags aside and starting down the mountain road after him. "You can't leave me here! You can't ..." his voice trailed off into nothingness as the truck sped up. Veldt waved once more, then his hand disappeared inside.

"Shit!" He kicked a rock, sending it skipping down the road after the truck, then stalked back to his bags. Yanking them up off the ground with far more force than was necessary, he surveyed the town again. How dare they send him to a place like this! And for what? He was leagues better than any of the old SOLDIERs! Why should he have to listen to what they said?

"Sephiroth?"

"What?" he barked, whipping his head around to glare at a portly man in coveralls.

The man laughed. Laughed! At him! "They said you were a prickly one," he said, still chuckling. "I'm Robert Lockheart, the mayor 'round these parts. You can call me Bob."

Sephiroth fixed him with his most intimidating glare. The mayor? What kind of mayor wore coveralls?

"Come on," he said, paying no heed to Sephiroth's glare. "I'll show you where you'll be living."

Grudgingly, he shouldered his bags and followed the man. He had half a mind to take off and spend his summer foraging in the woods. That would at least teach him something useful—not that he didn't already know everything he needed to about survival, but it would still be better than being stuck in _Nibelheim_ all summer. Even the name sounded backwater. He had a feeling, however, that if he did disappear, _Bob_ would be on the line to Colonel Taisha in a heartbeat and he'd be dragged back for something worse.

He kicked another rock and smiled to himself when it clipped the old codger's heel.

"Watch out for loose rocks," Lockheart said, glancing over his shoulder. "We're planning to fix up the roads this summer. Your colonel said that was something you'd be happy to help with."

Sephiroth bit his tongue hard enough to make it bleed. He wasn't going to waste his breath arguing. There was no way they could make him do it, and SOLDIERs did _not_ do roadwork. As he followed the mayor down a winding road that led through thick trees and an open field, he noted that it did indeed need work; deep ruts were worn into it, and there were pot holes large enough to take out a vehicle's axle. That didn't mean he was going to help; they could hire a road crew.

"How much farther?" he asked. It was good that he was going to be out of the town centre, and hopefully away from the people, but he didn't want to spend all his time hiking back and forth for every little thing.

"Just around the bend and up the hill. There's a bicycle in the shed that you're free to borrow when you don't want to hoof it. I'll give you the key."

Sephiroth gritted his teeth and said nothing again. A bicycle? Did they think he was a child? After a further five minutes of walking, they approached a rickety-looking shack sitting in a field of weeds and old spruce trees. The bright yellow flowers with big brown centres that seemed to compose the outer walls of the building were half as tall as he was. "What are those things?" he asked, making his distaste for the things plain.

"The flowers? You've never seen sunflowers before?"

"Sunflowers?"

"They turn their faces towards the sun every morning, and follow it throughout the day. They'll be taller than you by the end of summer."

"Can't anything be done about them?"

Lockheart's smile wavered for the first time. "You mean you don't like them?"

"They're impeding visibility. If they're going to grow bigger, there will be no way to determine if anyone is hiding among them. They could also hinder an escape route, or bring an infestation of insects, or—"

For the second time that day, the mayor _laughed_ at him. He compounded the insult by slapping his shoulder in what Sephiroth expected was meant to be a jovial manner. "Hinder an escape route! I love it! If you find the assassins are beginning to be a problem, you can cut them down, but until then, leave them be."

He seethed quietly as he was led through the weeds to the side of the house, where a door was creaking in the breeze.

"Looks like the kids have been using this as their hideout again," Lockheart said. "I'm sure they haven't made too much of a mess of it, though. You'll be able to fix it up to suit yourself." He pushed the door open all the way and gestured for him to enter.

Sephiroth scanned the room carefully, taking in the posters that had been pinned to the walls, the thin books with colourful illustrations scattered among empty cans and snack packages, and the stack of short boxes by a little table. A large black beetle crawled out of one of the packages and scuttled off to a dark corner. "Not too much of a mess?" he asked in a carefully level tone.

"Well, we all know how kids are!" The mayor slapped his shoulder again. "I'll leave you to it! Here's the key, and the one to the shed as well; it's just around back."

Before Sephiroth could form any sort of protest, Lockheart was gone, whistling an off-key tune as he strolled down the road. He slammed the door behind him and threw his bags down, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process.

"Shit!" He didn't bother taking off his boots before stomping into the room, kicking crap out of the way as he went.

"Mom says that's a bad word."

Sephiroth spun to his left and saw a little boy peering at him from behind a partially closed door. "What are you doing in here?"

"Hanging out," the boy replied. He opened the door all the way, allowing Sephiroth to see beyond him into what looked like a bedroom.

"Well, get out! I live here now." The boy just stared up at him with wide blue eyes behind his wild hair that was nearly the colour of the stupid sunflowers. Sephiroth's lip curled into a snarl, and he grabbed the boy by his shirt collar and tossed him outside. He waited just long enough to see the child roll—rather skillfully—as he landed, then he slammed the door again and locked it.

He shoved some of the garbage to the sides of the room to make space for his things, then unzipped his largest bag.

"I'm Cloud. What's your name?"

Turning to the voice behind him, Sephiroth fixed him with the same glare he had given Lockheart. Cloud just sat there expectantly, not looking the least bit perturbed. Did no one in this town realize who he was?

"How did you get in here?" Sephiroth demanded to know.

Cloud pointed to the bedroom, and when Sephiroth got up to look, he noticed the wide open window and the screen lying on the floor next to it. Dead leaves and dust covered the bed and gathered in the corners. He stormed across the room and slammed the window shut. It didn't even appear to have a lock! Resolving to find a length of wood that he could use to wedge it shut, Sephiroth returned to the main room to evict his unwelcome guest once more, only to find him rummaging through his bag.

"Get out of that!" He grabbed the boy by the collar again and hauled him away. The bamboo practice sword they had given him to take followed.

"Wow! Are you a ninja?" Cloud waved the sheathed sword around, apparently oblivious to the fact that Sephiroth was dragging him towards the door again.

He snatched the sword away from him—it may have been a poor replacement for Masamune, but it was all he had. "Get out, and stay out!"

The third time Sephiroth found himself glaring at Cloud's wide blue eyes, he simply sighed. "Why won't you go away?"

"Because we're friends. So, are you a ninja?"

"Don't be stupid, of course I'm not a ninja. If you're going to be in here, go sit in the corner and don't talk."

To his great shock, Cloud actually went and sat leaning against the wall with one of the illustrated books, remaining quiet while Sephiroth began to unpack his things. He placed the calligraphy set he had been given as he was leaving on the little table. While practicing his penmanship seemed like a dull task, it might be the only thing he'd have to keep him occupied here. He attempted to dust out the wardrobe he found in the bedroom, but gave up quickly and shoved his clothes in despite the dirt. What did he care if everything was filthy? Colonel Taisha wasn't going to pop by for an inspection.

"What's peddling?" Cloud asked when he came out for another load of clothing.

"What?"

"This word. What's it mean?" He turned his book and pointed to a page where the scenes appeared to be drawn in smaller panels within the page. Three mice were conversing, with white ovals above their heads depicting their dialogue. Cloud's chubby finger hovered over the middle panel and Sephiroth leaned in closer to see.

"Peddling. It means selling."

"Thanks." Cloud turned the book around again and propped it up on his knees.

"What is that?" Sephiroth asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "I've never seen a book with pictures like that before."

"You've never seen a comic?" Cloud had a look on his face like he couldn't quite comprehend the cruelty of such a fate.

Sephiroth shook his head. "What does it teach you?"

Cloud laughed. "It's just for fun."

"For fun?"

"Here, you read this one." He shoved the comic he had been reading into Sephiroth's hands and picked up another, then moved over so Sephiroth would have space to sit beside him.

Unsure of what else he could do, Sephiroth sat and opened the comic. He turned the pages much quicker than Cloud as he read about the mice searching for one of their own, and before he knew it, he had reached the last page which read: To Be Continued.

He shut the book. What an utter waste of time. The tactics the warrior mice used had been sound, but there was certainly nothing of value in it for him.

"Want the next one?" Cloud held out another comic with an equally low page count.

Well, it wouldn't take him long to get through it, and he was mildly curious about the traitor. "I guess," he grumbled, refusing to admit out loud that he was interested.

"Hellooo in there!" A voice from outside startled both of them, and Sephiroth hastily scrambled to his feet, tossing the comic on top of the large stack that he had finished reading. The sun was low on the horizon behind the foothills to the west when he opened the door, but the shocking passage of time took second place to what appeared to be the entire village on his doorstep.

Mayor Lockheart was at the head of the pack with a rag tied around his head and a mop on his shoulder. "We're here to help get you settled in. Go fetch a bucket of water—oh! I see you've met Cloud! He'll show you where the buckets are."

Sephiroth felt a tugging at his hand and stepped in that direction. Cloud pulled him outside and towards the back of the house, and as he went, the hoard descended.

"That's ... my ... don't ..." He stared helplessly as some people began to go through his bags while others began attacking the floors, walls, and ceilings with brooms and dusters.

"Let's go get a bucket," Cloud said, dragging him away from the violation of his privacy.

They fetched a bucket from the shed. Sephiroth saw the accident waiting to happen that he supposed was his bicycle, and vowed then and there to never touch the thing. Water was retrieved from an ancient, rusty pump in the yard, and he made a second vow to boil everything. By the time they returned to the house, the garbage had been cleared away, and all the comics, toys, and posters were in a box. Someone snatched the pail from him, and someone else shouted for a fresh garbage bag. Still another person yelled for Al to bring up a new screen for the bedroom window.

"Cloud, did you kick the screen out?" A woman with hair to match Cloud's leaned through the doorway and fixed him with a glare.

"Did not!"

"Well there's a hole in it that I'd say is exactly your shoe size. You know how to pop out a screen properly."

"I didn't!" Cloud looked up at him, pleading with his eyes much the same way Sephiroth had earlier in the day.

"Really?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you get through?"

"The screen was already out when I climbed in! It's been out for ages!" He seemed so earnest—almost like he would burst into tears—that Sephiroth relented. He didn't want to deal with tears.

"Maybe it was a squirrel," he said, causing Cloud to beam, though the moment he said it, he imagined a squirrel infestation in the attic and grimaced. He shut his eyes, wishing he could also shut out the noise of so many boisterous people, and allowed himself to be shoved back outside.

Barely an hour had passed before Sephiroth was invited back inside what he had thought was his own house. The change was remarkable. Cobwebs had been swept away, the floors had been polished, and there were actual furnishings now. His practice sword had been carefully placed atop a short book case, the manuals he had brought with him were arranged on the shelf below, and the calligraphy set was laid out on the small table, along with a pristine sheet of paper, ready for him to begin practicing.

"Cloud, run down and get the pot of stew I set aside for Sephiroth," the yellow-haired woman said. "It's in the red ceramic pot. Use potholders; it's hot!"

"Ha! Now I know your name!" Cloud leaped up, punched his fist in the air, and took off at a mad run, his little feet pattering loudly on the dirt road.

"We'll be taking off now," Lockheart said, wiping some dust and sweat off his forehead. "If you need anything else, just give a holler."

Sephiroth looked around at all the people who were slowly beginning to disperse. He didn't know what to say or do. Did he have to thank them, even though he hadn't asked for their help? He supposed it would be proper.

"Thank you. For ..." Sephiroth waved his hand at the house, unable to bring himself to express gratitude for having his private property rooted through, but he did appreciate the assistance with cleaning up. "I don't understand why so many people came."

It seemed that Lockheart was going to make a habit of slapping him on the shoulder, and it made him miss his armour. That discouraged people from touching him. "We don't have many people move out this way, so a new face is exciting. Especially one from the big city. I think you'll fit in well here, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth snorted as the man turned away. He had absolutely no intention of fitting in here. He would serve his punishment, then go back to Midgar and forget Nibelheim ever existed.

"Cloud will be back shortly with some supper for you," said the woman who was most likely Cloud's mother. "I'm Alde Strife, by the way. Thank you for being kind to Cloud; he doesn't have a lot of friends."

He gave a half-hearted shrug; somehow he failed to see how throwing the boy out the door twice constituted being kind, but then, his mother hadn't been around to see that. It didn't surprise him to learn that Cloud didn't have a lot of friends; the boy was obnoxious!

Alde and Lockheart walked together down the road, chatting about the weather and snow runoff. Sephiroth had half a mind to lock the door again, but had a feeling that Cloud would find a new way into the house regardless. And he _was_ hungry. He supposed he should be grateful as well that somebody had thought to feed him. So he sat on the step and waited in the gathering dusk while trying to tune out the din from what he assumed was crickets until Cloud finally appeared at the gate lugging a small pot.

"It's about time," he snapped and strode over to the boy, snatching the pot from him. "It's probably cold by now."

"I got hungry on the way," Cloud said with a grin. "Mom says you can heat it on the hob if you need to."

"You got hungry? You mean you ate my—?" Sephiroth snatched the lid off the pot. Inside was a hearty stew with meat, a variety of vegetables, and what looked like barley. The pot was barely two-thirds full.

"I got hungry! It was really far, and I didn't have a snack this afternoon," Cloud protested. "There's still lots."

Sephiroth noticed wetness gathering in the corners of Cloud's eyes and his rapidly reddening face. "It's fine," he muttered, hoping to stave off any bawling. He had heard a child crying while he had been patrolling in Midgar once, and he had no wish to experience it again. "Come on, you might as well stay while I eat so you can take the pot back."

Cloud sniffled and pulled a spoon that appeared to have been licked clean out of his pocket, holding it out to him.

He sighed loudly and took the spoon, then led the way into the tiny kitchen. A single gas burner was propped up on a wooden crate. There was also a small refrigerator and, much to his relief, a sink. He found a clean spoon in a drawer and passed the used one back to Cloud. There was nowhere in the kitchen to sit, so he returned to the main room and sat on the threadbare, but clean couch someone had supplied. Cloud crawled up next to him, and Sephiroth couldn't quite bring himself to shove him away. He settled for ignoring him while he ate.

By the time he had scraped the pot clean, Cloud had fallen asleep on his shoulder, much to his annoyance. He didn't bother trying to not disturb him when he stood to go wash the pot; he'd have to wake him anyway to send him home. Cloud simply tipped over into the vacant space he left and continued sleeping.

He managed to not swear too loudly when he scalded himself with the hot water. Teaching Cloud 'bad words', as the child had put it, would probably earn him a lecture from Colonel Taisha. Although maybe Cloud wouldn't be allowed to harass him if he did. That would bear some consideration. When the dishes were washed and dried, he returned to the main room and roughly shook Cloud.

"Wake up. You have to go home now."

Cloud yawned and stretched. "Did I fall asleep?"

Sephiroth refrained from asking if he was stupid, and shoved the pot into his hands instead. "Take this back with you."

"Okay," Cloud mumbled sleepily. He staggered to the door and struggled for a few moments putting on his sandals.

"Can you get back all right by yourself?" Sephiroth asked when he opened the door and realized there were no lights along the road.

"No problem. Thanks for playing with me today."

An unpleasant feeling in the back of his mind made him grab Cloud's collar as he was about to head out the door. "Wait. I'll walk you back." Nobody here seemed to be concerned about monsters, but he didn't think it was right to let a ... Sephiroth frowned at Cloud. Two? Five? Ten, maybe? Probably not. How were you supposed to tell the ages of children? He didn't want to be blamed for a child's death, at any rate.

"You'll walk with me?" Cloud perked up, all traces of sleepiness gone from his face and posture.

"Just to make sure nothing happens. I don't _want_ to."

Cloud didn't appear to have paid attention to that last part, and he danced around giddily while Sephiroth put his boots on. "Did you know that the fireflies are going to come out soon? We can catch them together. I'm really good at catching them. I'll show you how. Hey, let's go see if the oroar's out. There's a really good spot nearby."

"I'm just taking you home," Sephiroth said in what he hoped was a stern tone.

As soon as he stood and took the pot from Cloud, his hand was grabbed by Cloud's warm, slightly sticky one, and he was dragged out the door. "Come on, it's not far!"

"No, we're going—"

Cloud dropped his hand and ran off in the opposite direction of the town, and Sephiroth was forced to follow. He'd really get it if he let the boy wander off into the wilderness. Didn't his mother care where he was? Didn't he have rules to follow? And punishments if he broke them? A stint in Hojo's lab would do him good.

"Hurry! Don't look until we get there!" Cloud picked up his pace, then darted off the road and scrambled loudly through a thick cluster of bushes. "This way! This way!" he called.

Sephiroth followed him at a more careful pace. His initial fear that the bushes were probably poison ivy was assuaged when he noticed that there was a small path leading through them. And Cloud _did_ appear to know where he was going, despite it being in the entirely wrong direction. He wondered what the oroar was, and why they were in such a great hurry to see it.

He caught up with Cloud at the base of a rock formation that appeared to break out above the treetops.

"Up here!"

"No, you can't climb that in the dark. Do you even know for certain if you're going to see this oroar of yours?"

"You don't know until you look," Cloud responded. He scrambled up the rock using his hands to help balance, then turned around partway and offered his hand to Sephiroth. "It doesn't hurt to try. It's best from here if its out."

"Until you fall off and break your neck," he grumbled. He climbed up to Cloud's level and took his hand—more as a safety precaution than out of any desire to touch the thing again. Cloud pulled him on until they approached the top of the formation, where he broke out into excited squeals.

"There it is!"

Sephiroth glanced up to the sky where Cloud was pointing and his breath caught. "Oh, the aurora."

"That's what I said. Pick me up so I can see better. No fair that you're taller."

"That won't make a difference," he said, but crouched down to get Cloud to stop pulling at him. The boy climbed onto his shoulders and clutched tightly at him. It wasn't like he weighed a lot, so Sephiroth grudgingly stood, keeping a careful grip on his knees. At least this way he couldn't run around.

"Isn't it pretty?" he asked.

Sephiroth tilted his head back to gaze up at the colourful lights dancing across the sky. "It is. Don't pull my hair."

But even the painful tugging on his hair couldn't quite distract him from the phenomenon. He had never seen anything like it, and he lost track of how long they stood on the rock tip. He only looked down once the lights had faded away.

"Aren't you glad you looked?" Cloud asked as he began carefully picking his way back down. It was more difficult with Cloud on his shoulders, but Sephiroth felt he had a better chance of getting him home with no further distractions if he continued to carry him.

"I suppose I am."

"It's better in winter, but mom won't let me stay out late then. Plus it's cold!"

"Well, you're probably out too late as it is. I wish I still had my PHS." That had been confiscated, along with Masamune and his materia, before his exile. Maybe he should get a watch. Not knowing the time set him on edge.

"What's a PHS?"

"A portable phone."

"There's a phone at the drug store. Or we can make tin can phones. I've got some good cans saved. Do you have any string? Maybe Tifa has some. Then we'd have to make it a three-way phone. Maybe there's string in the bits and bobs box."

Sephiroth ignored the babbling until they got to the village proper, then he was forced to pay attention to Cloud's attempt at directions.

"Here!" Cloud swung his leg towards a small house with a wide porch. A lamp in front of the door had moths swarming all over it, blocking out half the light it gave off. He lifted Cloud off his shoulders and set him down on the porch just as the door opened.

"Cutting it mighty fine tonight, young man," his mother said. She was wearing a robe and slippers and had her hair done up in curlers.

"We saw the oroar!" Cloud shouted.

"Did you? Well, I suppose that warrants staying out a little late. Now get your butt into bed."

"Goodnight, Seph!" he hollered as he scampered past his mother, who ruffled his hair as he went. "See you tomorrow!"

Seph? Tomorrow? Sephiroth sputtered in indignation as Alde turned to him.

"Thanks for bringing him back in one piece. He's a bit of a handful, but he's the only one I've got."

"I apologize for being so late. I don't have my PHS and lost track of time. He insisted that we see the aurora."

Alde shrugged nonchalantly. "It's summer. He's out the door at dawn and shows up again when he's hungry. The rule is supposed to be that he has to be home before I go to bed, but he's caught on that I don't go to bed until he's home."

Sephiroth had to stop himself from saying anything. He probably wasn't supposed to judge how other people parented, but he found it rather appalling that Alde would just let her son run off for the entire day. What would have happened if he had left Cloud to return on his own? "Thank you for the meal," he said to change the topic. "It was extremely good."

"Not a problem." Alde took the pot back with a smile. "Bob tells me you've never had to cook for yourself. I'll send Ricky—Bob's eldest along in the morning with some breakfast and lunch for you. He'll be a bit quicker at it than Cloud."

"I appreciate it."

As he crawled into bed that night, it occurred to Sephiroth that he had never been obligated to express gratitude as often as he had that day. Having to depend on others for assistance was aggravating. It was one day done, at least. He pulled his survival knife out of the drawer next to his bed and notched a vertical slash in the wall. "Only fifty-nine more to go."


	2. Day 3

"Good morning!"

Sephiroth sat bolt upright in bed when something wet plopped onto his face. "How do you always get in here without me noticing?" he yelled before he even opened his eyes. "I told you to leave me alone today!"

"You said you had to practice with your sword today, but you can't, 'cause it's raining. Let's go catch frogs by the creek!" Cloud was dressed in a bright yellow rain slicker and held a struggling frog in his chubby hands.

Sephiroth groaned and flopped back down on the pillow. "Go away, you're dripping everywhere."

Cloud leaned out the window—the screen had been taken out again yesterday when Cloud forced him to help make a telephone out of two empty tins and a length of string. His end of the 'phone' still dangled in the window. He stood back up straight with empty, if slimy, hands and ran over to the wardrobe.

"Where's your raincoat?" he asked as he rummaged through the hangars.

"I don't have one. I guess I can't play with you."

"I'll go borrow one for you then!"

Sephiroth knew better by now than to even try to stop Cloud. How could one tiny boy manage to push him around so easily? He certainly hadn't _enjoyed_ spending his entire day chasing butterflies and digging through the garden for bugs. Lockheart had said that it looked like they were having fun when they were rooting through the junk bin at the general store looking for string and nails, but the only reason Sephiroth had been smiling was because Cloud had perched an old colander on his head and was making robot noises; he couldn't help but laugh at him. But it wasn't fun.

He dragged himself out of bed and dressed before wolfing down the porridge that Cloud must have brought with him. He knew it had been Cloud because half of it was missing and there was dirt in the pot. Ricky at least managed to keep the lid on and his hands out. It was still delicious, despite the dirt. Alde Strife was a very good cook.

A high-pitched wailing caught Sephiroth's ears, and he stiffened as it grew louder. Crying. It was the most awful noise. Gathering his strength, he set the porridge down and went to the door.

"What?"

"I-I-I fell!" Cloud sobbed, his red, snotty face complimented the yellow of his raincoat well. He held a second mud-covered coat in his arms as he trudged up the path to the house, wailing the entire way.

"If you stop crying, I'll catch frogs with you," Sephiroth said without much hope that his bribe would work.

"It hurts!"

"Fine." Sephiroth thought for a moment. He didn't have any materia, but he had brought a first aid kit. Cloud had been fascinated by everything that came from 'the big city'. "I've got some special bandaids from the big city. Come here and I'll see what I can do."

He got Cloud's slicker and rain boots off, then carried him into the kitchen and sat him on the counter. "Did you fall on your knees?"

Cloud nodded, unable to speak between his sobs. Honestly, the way he was carrying on, Sephiroth might have thought he had a limb torn off. He rolled up his pants and got the mud washed off at the sink, then scoffed at the grievous injuries.

"You're barely even bleeding! What's there to cry about?"

Cloud stopped mid-sob. "I fell! It really hurts!"

"Once I got clawed in the stomach by a bajang and had to run all the way back to the base camp holding my guts in with my bare hands. Do you think I cried?"

Cloud's eyes went wide, and he nodded vigorously.

"Well I didn't. Even though I wasn't any bigger than you and all my guts would have fallen out if I let go, I didn't cry once." Sephiroth handed Cloud a tissue. "So blow your nose and grit your teeth."

His story had apparently given Cloud the determination to not cry, and he didn't make a peep when Sephiroth poured disinfectant over the scrapes and patted them dry, though he looked like he wanted to. He dug out a couple of large self-adhesive bandages and plastered them to Cloud's knees.

"There. You'll have some nice scabs to show off in a few days."

"Will I have cool scars?"

"Maybe. Now, do you want to go catch some frogs?"

They spent the remainder of the morning catching frogs and racing them. Cloud was better at catching them, but Sephiroth soon developed an eye for the faster ones, so he won more races. He managed to send Cloud away for lunch and finally got some peace and quiet for the afternoon. He spent it attempting to draw the Wutaian characters the way they were depicted in his calligraphy book, but found it frustrating. He could read the language just fine, but had never bothered to learn how to write it. After a couple hours of practice, he set it aside and glanced over at the box that held the comic books. It wouldn't hurt to read a few more. Hojo would never know.


	3. Day 8

Sephiroth concentrated on the sword as an extension of his arm as he moved fluidly through the drills he had set for himself, imagining that the sunflowers that were now chest high on him were a massive dual horn instead. It would charge directly at him, he would step to the right and—hope he never had a small child clinging to his leg in a battle with anything but flowers.

Cloud sat on his foot with his arms and legs wrapped around him, apparently perfectly happy to remain there for the rest of the day. He thought his new game was brilliant.

"You know, two can play this game. I think I'll go for a run."

"A run?" Cloud sounded dismayed.

"I run really fast." He jogged down the path to the road, and Cloud bounced with every step. "I'm going to need you to switch legs when I'm half done so they both get the same amount of exercise. You don't mind, do you?"

"How far are you gonna go?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to the top of the mountain and back." He barely got ten more paces before Cloud fell off with a loud oof. "Can't you hold on? I thought you said you were going to spend your whole day as a barnacle."

"I don't wanna be a barnacle if you're gonna run up the mountain. Why'd you want to do that anyway? I can't keep up."

"For exercise." Sephiroth crouched down and ruffled Cloud's hair. Sometimes he felt a bit badly for Cloud. He had met the other children in the village, and while they weren't exactly mean to Cloud, he was always on the outer edge of the group, and they never made an effort to include him. He had a suspicion that that was why Cloud had chosen him as his new friend. "How about I give you a piggy back? You can still be a barnacle on my back."

Cloud's face lit up, and he scrambled to his feet. Sephiroth hoisted him up.

"Hold on tight."

The grip around his neck tightened, and Sephiroth took off at a moderate pace that wouldn't overtax him even with the added weight. Cloud was squirmier than a rucksack, but he liked the challenge of not being able to use his arms while he ran.

He decided that going up and down the mountain was a bit ambitious for a spur of the moment run when he didn't even know the way, but he followed the road for a few kilometres, then looped back through the woods. He was slower going than usual on the way back. Since Cloud was with him, he had to be concerned about getting too close to branches, but it was still a good run. He carried on past his house and down into the town so he could pick up his lunch.

"Having fun there, Sephiroth?" Bob called out from where he was picking weeds in his garden. "Or is there some sort of emergency?"

"Just a run." Sephiroth let Cloud down and ruffled his hair again. "He makes a good rucksack."

"Better you than me, in that case. Say, speaking of rucksacks, I promised Tifa and Ricky and a few others that I'd take them camping next Friday, but I need to drive Arabella up to Rocket Town for a doctor's appointment. I know you've got experience with camping, and you get along fine with the children, would you mind chaperoning them? It's just a few hours walk for them from here to the campground. I'll supply you with everything you need."

Sephiroth's mind had stalled on the part where Bob claimed he got along with the children. He tolerated them because he had to, and yes, he would admit that Cloud wasn't that bad and even occasionally made good company, but that didn't mean he liked them.

"Can I go too?" Cloud asked softly, tugging on the leg of his pants.

"Is Cloud invited?"

Bob frowned. "I told Tifa to ask him along; she forgets half the time. Of course you're invited, Cloud. If Sephiroth is willing to go, that is."

"Please can we go? I've only been once."

"How long is the exercise?" Sephiroth asked, feeling like that would be a good thing to know before committing. Spending a week in the bush with a bunch of children to look after was definitely more than he could handle.

"No military exercises here," Bob said with a laugh. "Just overnight, then they're so sick from marshmallows and tired of bug bites that they want to come home. Ricky and one of his friends will be able to help you with the younger ones."

"We can make s'mores," Cloud said, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Sephiroth sighed and looked down at Cloud. "I suppose you'll teach me what a s'more is?"

"Yep!"

"All right, then. If I could get any information—where the campsite is, who's going, that sort of thing, as soon as possible, it would be appreciated. I'd prefer to at least have a plan. I don't have any training in childcare."

Bob laughed and would have slapped him on the shoulder if he hadn't finally learned to dodge. "You'll do all right, Sephiroth. Just keep them from doing too much that's truly stupid and it'll work out. I really appreciate you helping out like this."


	4. Day 14

He had thought to keep the little ones—Cloud and the mayor's girl, Tifa—at the head of the small group so they wouldn't be outpaced. But Tifa kept falling back to talk to the other children, and Cloud would insist on running ahead or off the trail completely to look at a bug or a rock or any number of other things that caught his attention. When they had covered what Sephiroth guessed was a quarter of the distance to the campsite, he gave up on his original plan and sent Ricky to the front with his friend, Sheryl. Tifa seemed content to stay in the middle with Johnny, who was slightly older than her and Cloud. Sephiroth was forced to hold onto Cloud to have any hope of not losing him.

"Why can't you just stay on the path?" Sephiroth asked as Cloud excitedly pointed at a squirrel and tried to bolt after it. "You've seen all of this before, haven't you?"

"I haven't seen _that_ squirrel. Did you see? It only had three legs! I wonder how it lived."

"Animals will adapt to all kinds of situations," he said with a sigh. Much like a person, he supposed. It was hard to believe that it had only been two weeks, and he had somehow been coerced into doing this 'favour'. He didn't know how he was going to put up with them until tomorrow.

It seemed to take an eternity to get them to the campsite. They had to stop three times for bathroom breaks. The breaks hadn't been made any faster by Ricky, Johnny, and Cloud screaming that they could still see the girls, no matter how far into the bush they went. Sephiroth made them all turn around and cover their eyes the second time, but they still kept at it. It was ridiculous.

The campsite, when they eventually arrived, was little more than a cleared space with a fire pit and an outhouse. There was supposed to be a spring nearby for water, so Sephiroth sent Ricky and Sheryl with a bucket and a jug to fill while he began setting up the large canvas tent Bob had given him.

"You three go gather some wood for the fire," he said to the remaining children. "Stay together, and if you can't see me, you've gone too far. Cloud, I mean it. Don't get lost."

"I never get lost!" Cloud boasted. "And I know the best wood to get. You'll see!"

"I mean it! Stay close!" Sephiroth cringed as Cloud grabbed Tifa and Johnny and dragged them with him. A small part of him wondered if he had just sentenced those two to being lost in the woods forever.

The tent was old and missing more than a few pieces, much like everything else in the village, but Sephiroth did his best to not swear, lest he be overheard, and managed to get the thing upright and looking similar to a tent.

"We're doomed if it rains," he muttered.

"Forecast is good," Ricky said, grinning as they returned from the spring. He set two full buckets down on a rotted old picnic table.

"If it _does_ rain, we can have a race to see who gets back to town first," Sheryl added. "Cloud will be up for it, at least."

"Nah," Ricky said, "Cloud'll want to go hunting water sprites or something stupid like that."

Sephiroth sighed and glanced over at the boy who wasn't more than a year or two younger than him. "If it rains, you take the kids back, I'll help Cloud with the water sprites."

"They live in the spring, you know!" Cloud burst out of the bushes carrying an armload of twigs and other deadfall. He dumped them by the fire pit and brushed himself off with a big grin.

"Water sprites don't exist."

The grin slipped off Cloud's face at Ricky's words, then he gave his head a shake and grinned again. "Yes they do. My mom says so. Just 'cause you can't see something doesn't mean it's not there."

Ricky looked like he was about to argue, but Sephiroth stepped in. "There are a number of creatures who can make themselves nearly invisible to humans. Maybe water sprites do exist."

"Do you really think so?" Cloud asked, tugging on his shirt.

Sephiroth shrugged. "Maybe. I've seen a lot of things that are stranger than a water sprite. Let's go get some more wood, then we'll work out sleeping arrangements so we don't have to try to do that in the dark."

Civilian sleeping arrangements were far more haphazard than anything he would have expected from SOLDIERs. After an afternoon spent playing in the woods, followed by hotdogs and marshmallows cooked over the fire and ghost stories once night fell, his young charges were exhausted. They fell into the tent and sprawled wherever they found a comfortable spot of ground. Sephiroth was equally exhausted and found himself too tired to care that Tifa's foot was in his face and he couldn't straighten his legs without kicking Cloud. He scratched a line into the ground next to him. A placeholder for the fourteenth tally that would go on his wall. "Forty-six."

"Same to you too," Cloud mumbled in his sleep. "I'll take three."


	5. Day 15

"Have you seen Cloud recently?" Sephiroth asked Tifa when she came running back to him with yet another handful of flowers. Johnny was catching crickets, and he wasn't terribly concerned about the older two, but he hadn't seen Cloud in a while, which usually meant trouble.

"Um, I think he's with Ricky and Sheryl," Tifa said. "Ricky said he wanted to see the bridge."

"All right." Sephiroth frowned and put the flowers in the mug of water he had filled to use as a vase. "I should go check on him, just in case. Want to come with me? I'll hold your hand." Holding Tifa's hand was the best way to get her to do anything when Sheryl wasn't around.

Tifa smiled widely and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Johnny, let's go for a walk. Do you two know where the bridge is?"

Tifa's smile dropped off her face, and she and Johnny exchanged a nervous glance.

"What is it?" Sephiroth asked. "Tifa, I need to find Cloud. Do you know where the bridge is? Johnny, do you?"

"We're not supposed to go there," Johnny said, looking away from his eyes.

"It's dangerous," Tifa added.

"But Ricky and Sheryl went? Which way is it? I need to know."

Tifa squirmed a bit, but finally pointed to the north towards Mount Nibel. "We know the way. Don't tell on us, please?"

Sephiroth just tightened his grip on her hand and grabbed onto Johnny as well, dragging them with him. What the hell were Ricky and Sheryl thinking taking Cloud to a place that they obviously knew was dangerous? He didn't doubt for a second that Cloud would be stupid enough to go along with it. Or, he considered after a moment, perhaps it wasn't a matter of stupidity, but wanting to fit in and be accepted.

Tifa and Johnny had him following a rarely used path, though Sephiroth saw signs that indicated people had recently been through. They eventually came out near the edge of a large gorge, with a rickety-looking bridge spanned across it. He noticed Ricky and Sheryl standing at the near edge shouting encouragement first, and seconds later, he saw Cloud two-thirds of the way across the bridge and heading to the far side.

"Just a little bit farther!" Ricky shouted.

"Don't look down!" Sheryl added.

"Cloud!" Sephiroth let go of Tifa and Johnny and sprinted for the bridge. "Cloud, get back here, right now!"

"Oh, come on, he's nearly there. He can do it."

"You idiots!" He turned on Ricky, who had the good sense to quail and shut his mouth. Cloud had stopped and was looking back at him. Sephiroth stepped out onto the bridge, feeling his stomach lurch when it creaked under him. On his third step, the plank cracked beneath his foot and it was only his quick reflexes that kept his leg from going through the hole. He immediately thought better of trying to go out after Cloud; most of the planks were rotten, and there was no way they'd bear his weight and Cloud's.

"Sephiroth, look, I'm almost there!" The pride Cloud felt at his accomplishment rang clearly through the air.

"Cloud," Sephiroth said, trying for a calm tone, "I want you to come back to this side. Please?"

"But I'm so close. I've just got to touch the other edge and then I can come back."

Sephiroth fought with himself to stay where he was when Cloud took another step away from him. "I know you're close, but you've gone far enough. Turn around and come back now."

Cloud hesitated a moment, then sighed. "Oh, all right." He turned and began walking back.

"Carefully, now. Watch your step and hold onto the ropes as tight as you can."

"I'm not going to fall."

He wished he could believe that, but the bridge swayed in the wind, and he could hear the ropes groaning under just Cloud's weight. He could barely breathe while he watched Cloud's confident steps, as though he believed he was immortal. Finally, Cloud got close enough for Sephiroth to lean out and grab him, hauling him onto the solid ground.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled, and Cloud took a step back from him, looking confused.

"Are you mad? Everybody does it, Ricky said so."

" _Mad?_ " Sephiroth exploded, making Cloud take another step back. "Yes I'm _mad!_ I was terrified!"

Cloud's eyes went wide for a moment, and it looked like he was about to speak, but Ricky interrupted.

"C'mon, Sephiroth, no one's fallen before. It's just a stupid test of courage."

"Stupid is exactly what it was," Sephiroth snapped. He grabbed Cloud's arm and swept Tifa and Johnny in front of him. "We're going back. No arguments."

The group was far quieter on the way home. Tifa and Johnny chatted a bit, but the other three remained silent while Sephiroth marched them down the trail. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Informing Bob of what had happened was probably the appropriate course of action, but he didn't want it to reflect badly on him. When he let the kids stop for a break, Cloud came over and sat beside him on a log, though he wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he whispered. "I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't," Sephiroth sighed. "You know why I was scared, right?"

"I wouldn't have fallen."

He gave his head a small shake as he took the top off Cloud's water bottle and held it out to him. "You could have. Very easily. That bridge isn't safe for anyone to go on."

"But everyone else does it," Cloud protested, ignoring the water. "I didn't want to be the only one who didn't. I'm really brave."

"You are brave," Sephiroth agreed, "but you don't have to prove that to anyone by doing something stupid. There's a big difference between being brave and being reckless." As he spoke, Sephiroth found himself thinking back to a very similar talk he had sat through with Colonel Taisha. "You know, someone said something just like that to me not too long ago. I was trying to prove that I was strong."

"You don't need to prove that!" Cloud said. "You can carry all sorts of things and run really fast for a really long time."

"That's true. And you can pick up big bugs and go to the outhouse by yourself at night. So even though neither one of us needed to prove anything, we tried to anyway by doing something stupid."

"You did too?"

"I did." Now that it wasn't quite so immediate, and no one was yelling at him, he could acknowledge that it had been incredibly reckless to charge into that compound without waiting for backup. He had known he'd be fine—much like Cloud had been certain of his own safety. "Taisha must have been terrified," he murmured to himself.

"Did you say you were sorry?"

"No, but I should. You're a lot nicer to other people than I am."

Cloud nodded thoughtfully. "You're kind of grumpy."

"And yet, I haven't been able to make you leave me alone." Sephiroth reached over and ruffled Cloud's hair. "Drink some water. Does anybody need a snack?" he called out to the rest of the group.

When they started down the trail again, Ricky fell back to walk beside him.

"Are you going to tell my dad about the bridge?" he asked.

"Do you think I shouldn't?"

"Well, I guess ..." Ricky shrugged. "I guess we pretty much deserve to get in trouble. I really didn't think the bridge was that rotten—it's been a long time since I was on it. But don't get Sheryl in trouble, please? It was my idea."

"Your idea or not, she still participated," Sephiroth said coldly.

"Yeah, but ..."

"Cloud could have died, Ricky. If the wind had picked up, or if he stepped on the wrong spot on a plank, he would have fallen. I know you guys don't like him very much, but do you want him dead?"

"No! Look, I'm sorry, I really am. I know it was stupid, but we didn't do it to pick on Cloud, honest. I thought if he did it, and we told Tifa, she'd like him better."

Sephiroth sighed and shook his head. "Something needs to be done about that bridge, but I don't necessarily have to mention your idiocy. Do something like that again, however, and I'll make you regret it."

"If it helps," Ricky said, "I already do."

"It helps."


	6. Day 18

A/N: Thank you to everyone who's still reading in this mostly-dead fandom. I appreciate you very much. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who is bad at making phone calls.

XXX

 _You've reached the office of Colonel Gerald Taisha of Shinra Incorporated. He is either out of the office, or unable to answer the phone at this moment. Please state your name and number and your call will be returned as soon as possible._

There was a beep, and Sephiroth panicked. He had what he would say all planned out, but he had planned for Taisha to answer the phone.

"Shit, um, sorry. Colonel, this is Sephiroth call—"

"You're not supposed to say shit, Seph." Cloud sat down next to him and wagged his finger.

"Neither are you. Go away, I'm on the phone." He picked up the phone and attempted to retreat to the back of the store, but the cord didn't stretch far enough. "Apologies, sir, this is Sephiroth calling. I wanted to—"

"Are you talking to someone in the big city?"

"Yes, shh. I just wanted to say that—"

"Seph! There are dragon bubble blowers! Can we get—" Cloud came running down the aisle with a brightly-coloured package in his hands.

"Not if you don't shut up, right now. Go wait outside." He snatched the bubbles away and held them up out of Cloud's reach. Cloud tried to grab them a few times before giving up and finally going outside. He turned his attention back to the phone just in time to hear it beep as the messaging system cut him off. "Shit."

"That will be an amusing message for him, at least." The pharmacist, Mr. Perkins leaned over the counter with a smile. "Do you want to try again?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "How much do I owe you?"

"For the call? A gil, if you're offering."

"A gil?" Sephiroth sputtered. "It was long distance! It's bound to be more than that!"

"A gil's plenty, not to worry." Mr. Perkins took the phone back and set it in its place on the counter. "It wasn't a very successful call, after all."

Sephiroth allowed himself a smile. "Well, maybe he'll be able to get a laugh out of it. How much for the bubbles?"

"Cloud's not going to know what to do with himself when you're gone," Mr. Perkins said, shaking his head. "Ten, including the call."

He pulled out the cash and set it in the tray Mr. Perkins kept on the counter. "Thank you."

Cloud was sitting on the step outside, looking glum. "Are you mad at me?"

"No." Sephiroth dropped the package on his head. "I _am_ questioning why I thought it would be a good idea to make that call with you anywhere in the vicinity. My doctor's probably trying to organize a rescue mission for me as we speak."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then why do you have a doctor?"

"Because it's lots of fun to stab me with needles. Did you want those bubbles or not? I can probably get my money back if you're not interested in them."

"I want them!" Cloud tore open the package and extracted two plastic dragons with circles attached to their mouths. He handed one to Sephiroth, then opened the jar that came with them. He dipped the wand end into the jar, pulled it out and blew into the tail. The bubble mix sputtered a bit and dripped onto the ground.

"Impressive. I can see why I wasted ten gil on you."

"It's hard!"

"Uh-huh." Sephiroth tried with his dragon, but blew gently. A dozen or so bubbles floated away on the breeze. "Very difficult."

"How'd you do that?" Cloud snatched the jar away and tried again, with similar results to his first attempt.

"Blow gently. You're bursting the bubbles before they can even form. Like this." He showed Cloud again, emphasizing how carefully he was blowing.

It took a few more tries, but Cloud got to the point where he could almost always get at least a few bubbles, and he grinned happily.

"Sephiroth! There's someone on the phone for you!" Tifa came running down the street, hollering at the top of her lungs.

"You stay here," Sephiroth ordered as he stood. "Guard the bubbles." Perhaps having a mission of some sort would keep Cloud from following him and interrupting again.

"Dad said it was really important and to run as fast as I could to find you," Tifa gasped. "You'd better hurry. Ricky went up to your house."

"Thank you. Cloud, maybe you can go after Ricky to tell him Tifa found me."

"Yes, sir!" Cloud saluted with his dragon in hand, splattering all three of them with bubble mix, then took off running.

Bob was on the phone when Sephiroth approached, and he hesitated a moment, but Bob waved him closer.

"Looks like someone found him, Ger. You take care now. Hi to the wife for me. Here he is."

Sephiroth took a deep breath as he lifted the receiver to his ear. "Colonel Taisha, Sephiroth here."

"Afternoon, Sephiroth. I just got your rather interesting message and figured I had better call."

"I apologize for that, sir."

"Not at all; it sounded like you were having fun. Did you get the dragon bubble blowers?"

Sephiroth felt his face heat up—something that had only happened to him once or twice before. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

"Good to hear. There's nothing quite like a summer afternoon spent blowing bubbles and eating watermelon. Now, what was it that you had wanted to talk to me about?"

"I—I wanted to apologize to you, sir," he blurted the words out in one go, as though apologizing was akin to tearing off a bandage.

"Apologize?"

Shit, he was going to actually make him say it. "Yes, sir. For ..." He hesitated. How the hell had Cloud managed to apologize so sincerely _without_ humiliating himself? Having no pride to begin with probably did it. "I didn't think about what it would have been like for you or the other troops when I went into that compound. I was just trying to show off, and I'm sorry."

The line was silent for several moments, and Sephiroth wondered if he had been cut off. There was no way in hell he could manage that a second time.

"Sir?"

Colonel Taisha cleared his throat. "I have to say, that's not what I was expecting when I saw you had called. You understand that while I played a large role in the decision to send you to Nibelheim, it was a joint decision, and I can't overrule it just be—"

"I'm not asking you to," Sephiroth interrupted, frowning at Taisha's assumption. He hadn't assumed Cloud was just trying to get out of trouble; Taisha could at least give him the benefit of the doubt. "I just wanted to apologize, that's all."

"Oh. Well, in that case, thank you, Sephiroth. Apology accepted. Are you having as miserable a time there as you thought you would?"

"Not really." He saw Cloud through the window, apparently trying to teach Tifa how to blow bubbles properly as well. His success at the task was questionable, and it looked like an argument was brewing. "I think I'm beginning to understand why you sent me here."

"Good. Perhaps by September you'll have figured it out."

"Perhaps. I should go. They just spilled the bubbles." It was hard to tell from the distance, but it looked like tears were forthcoming from both of them.

"Make your own to replace it," Taisha suggested. "Someone there will be able to tell you how."

"Thank you, sir. See you in September."

"Take care."

Sephiroth hung up and handed the phone back to Bob without looking at him. The fact that his apology had been overheard made it worse, and he wondered how much the mayor knew about the events that had led up to him being here.

"That was very brave of you, Sephiroth. You realize that, right?"

He attempted a nonchalant shrug, but didn't think he pulled it off very well. "Do you know how to make bubble mix?"

Bob smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I think I can help you out with that."


	7. Day 27

"Mom says to put sunscreen on," Cloud said.

Sephiroth set his wheelbarrow down and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a rag, then took the plastic tube Cloud was holding out to him. He looked at the label for a few moments, then handed it back. "I don't think I need this."

"Now who's stupid? You'll get burned if you don't put it on. Sunburns hurt a lot." Cloud shoved the tube into his stomach. "And she says you have to drink more water and take breaks."

"I don't actually think you're stupid." Sephiroth sat down on the gravel in his wheelbarrow and took the tube back. "Whoever thought to fix this stupid road in the middle of a heat wave, however, is an entirely different story. Go get me some water and I'll take a break."

Cloud ran back to his mother while Sephiroth looked over the tube again. He really didn't think he needed it. Hojo wouldn't have left him with a flaw like not being able to be in the sun without protection. Even if he did burn, the mako in his system would heal it almost immediately. Still, he looked over at Mrs. Strife, who appeared to be pantomiming how to apply it, it probably wasn't worth the fight. He had no doubts these days that he'd lose.

He had hunched over and was reviewing the instructions for application when Cloud returned and upended an ice-cold water bottle on his head.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, leaping to his feet and trying to shake the water out of his hair.

Cloud leapt out of his way, but threw the rest of the water at him, laughing. "You complained it was hot!" He turned on his heel and ran down the hill.

"You little shit!" It was nothing to catch up with Cloud, and Sephiroth grabbed him, then stopped for a moment. What was he supposed to do now that he had him? If _he_ had done something like that, Hojo would have punished him, but Cloud was still laughing like it was all a great joke. "Think that was funny, do you?" he snarled menacingly.

"You look like a wet dog!"

"Oh, do I?" Sephiroth hoisted Cloud up under his arm and marched down the hill towards the area where the cold drinks were being kept. They had drawn quite a bit of attention—it seemed that everyone had stopped working to see what he would do, but Sephiroth just smiled. "They think I don't know what to do with you."

A large inflatable pool had been filled with ice and water to keep the drinks cold, and Sephiroth marched right up to it and held Cloud out. "Shall I drop you in?"

No one was screaming in horror. It was more laughter than anything, with Cloud laughing loudest. He didn't want to damage the pool, so with a shrug, he quickly dropped down to one knee and dunked Cloud into the water without dropping him. Cloud shrieked at the shock, but didn't stop laughing as he flailed his arms to splash even more water around.

"It's cold!"

"Serves you right!" Sephiroth hauled the boy back out and set him on his feet. The cold water he was splashing everywhere was refreshing, and he laughed when Cloud ran around to the other side of the pool and swept up a great armful of water at him. He darted out of the way and then splashed back, laughing as the other children joined in.

"You'll never catch me!" Tifa shouted as she splashed water at him.

Sephiroth let out a derisive, "Ha!" as he swept her up and dunked her in the pool as well. She shrieked and ran as soon as he let her go, but still no one protested. This was playing, he realized. _He_ was playing. He paused for a moment and looked around. The adults were all laughing as well. Some were even taking pictures as they splashed around and laughed.

Nobody minded. Nobody cared that the road wasn't being worked on. He was distracted from his task, but no one looked angry at all. Another splash of cold water hit him directly in the face and he grabbed Cloud and threw both of them forward, into the pool.

Someone brought more water to refill the pool, and with it came another load of ice that had everyone shrieking again. When he finally collapsed against a large tree by the road, soaking wet and nearly out of breath, Cloud approached him with the sunscreen again.

"All right, all right. I don't need it, but if that's what it takes." He grabbed the tube out of the boy's hands and set about smearing the greasy cream over himself. "This is disgusting," he muttered under his breath.


	8. Day 36

Sephiroth stared at the card that had been left in the mailbox at the entrance to the short drive leading up to his house. This was entirely new.

 _Dear Sephiroth,_

 _You are cordially invited to attend Cloud Strife's 7th birthday party on August 11._

 _Time: 10:00 - 4:00_

 _Place: No. 17, 3rd Street_

 _Please RSVP no later than August 9._

At the bottom, in Cloud's barely legible scrawl was written, _Plees come Sefiroth!_

A celebration of the anniversary of Cloud's birth? What was there to celebrate about that? He could understand celebrating a birth, but every year thereafter seemed a bit farfetched. He sighed and stood. He would have to ask. Bob would probably be his best bet.

He found the mayor on his way into town and pulled off the road, alerting everyone for miles to his presence with his bike's shrieking brakes. Bob was fixing some of the fence posts around the old widower Harrison's small plot of potatoes, and he paused and wiped some sweat from his forehead upon Sephiroth's arrival.

"Morning, Sephiroth," he called. "What brings you out and about?"

"Good morning, sir. I was looking for you actually."

Bob blinked in surprise, but wiped off his hands on his coveralls and stepped into the road. "Well, you've found me. What can I do for you?"

"I received this," he said, holding out the envelope with the card tucked back in. "I was wondering if you could explain."

Bob took the card out and glanced over it. "What needs explaining?"

"What's a birthday party?"

The mayor stared at him in shocked silence for a few moments. "What's a birthday party? Shiva's tits, boy, they really don't let you live back in Midgar, do they?"

Sephiroth frowned in confusion. Was this something he was supposed to know about? He didn't recall any lessons on the topic. "I apologize—"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry for not knowing. I'm glad you've figured out how to give an apology, but there are some things that you shouldn't ever have to apologize for. The inhumane way you were raised is one of them."

"Inhumane?"

Bob's face softened and he sat down on the edge of the road with his legs squashing the tall grass in the ditch. "Take a seat, son." He plucked a long piece of grass and put the end in his mouth, something Sephiroth had seen a few people do since his arrival. When Sephiroth sat next to him he heaved a big sigh as he looked out over the field. "I got the impression from Ger—your Colonel Taisha—that you don't have much of a life outside your soldiering. And that it's been that way your whole life."

"I don't mind," Sephiroth said. Bob sounded like he pitied him or something. "I'm part of a special project. I'm going to be the best SOLDIER they've ever made."

"I believe you. You've got the makings of a fine soldier. But there's a lot more to life than just that. Birthday parties, for example."

"Is it the anniversary of a birth? A celebration for it?"

"Right on the nose."

"But why? Nobody remembers being born. What's to celebrate?"

"Another year's worth of new experiences, good and bad, new friendships, new hardships and victories. And the new things to come in the next year. It's a day about you, and having people come together to celebrate the fact that you exist isn't half bad."

"I see. Does everyone do this?"

"Most people. Children especially do. Another year lived is a long time when you've only been around for seven. The way people celebrate changes as they grow older, but nearly everyone notes their birthday in one way or another."

"So it's important for me to attend?"

"You'd make Cloud's day if you did. I overheard him telling Mr. Perkins the other day how much he was looking forward to his best friend coming."

Sephiroth blinked. "Is that me? Is there a ranking system?"

Bob laughed and slapped him on the back. He'd long since given up dodging. "That's you, and no, not really. It's not a competition at any rate. But Cloud values your friendship, probably more than you'll ever know. So will you go?"

"I suppose. What do I have to do?"

"Show up, have fun, eat cake. It's generally expected to bring a small gift for the person whose birthday it is, but don't worry too much about it. He'll have plenty from the other children. Tell Mrs. Strife you're going."

"Is that what this RSVP means?"

"Yes, so she knows how many people to plan for."

"Okay, I'll do that. What sort of gift is acceptable?"

"A small toy or a book would be fine. But really, Cloud will be happy enough with your presence. You don't need to go out of your way."

Sephiroth nodded his understanding, but frowned as he stood. This was going to be the first birthday party he attended, and Cloud _was_ his friend, despite how annoying he was. He wanted to give him a present. But what?

He thought about it as he rode slowly back to his house. Cloud liked the comics about mice, but everyone knew that. They probably knew which issues he didn't have. And Cloud didn't play with toys very often. He liked making his own out of things that he found. That task had occupied a great deal of his days over the past month. A store-bought toy might entertain him for a little while, but it wouldn't be a very memorable gift. And, as his apparent _best_ friend, Sephiroth wanted to give him something that would be special to him. He would have to think.


	9. Day 42

Sephiroth arrived promptly at 10:00, and Cloud greeted him with a beaming smile and a hug, then presented him with what was apparently his required uniform for the party. He felt very silly with the brightly coloured cone on his head, and the elastic strap that held it on caught in his hair fairly regularly. Everyone else was wearing them, however, so he went along with it, hoping there wouldn't be any pictures.

That hope was squashed quite quickly when Bob held up a camera and said, "Cheese!"

He blinked as the flash went off in his face. "I …"

"Sorry, Sephiroth, but Ger made me promise to get some pictures of you when I mentioned the party."

"Come in, Seph!" Cloud tugged at his hand excitedly, distracting him from his protest. "Come look at my cake!"

The Strife house was small, but cozy. Streamers and balloons that said 'Happy Birthday!' hung from the ceiling and walls. A table held snacks and drinks. Tifa was there, munching on a handful of popcorn, and she waved when she saw him, spilling popcorn crumbs everywhere in the process. In the centre of the table was the cake, cut and decorated to look like Cloud's favourite character from the mouse comics.

"Isn't it cool?" Cloud asked. "Mom worked on it all day yesterday."

"It's really cool," he replied. "She did a good job."

"Thank you, Sephiroth, that's nice of you to say." Mrs. Strife came out from the kitchen carrying a plate of cut vegetables. "Help yourself to any of the snacks, but we'll save the cake for after lunch."

Sephiroth nodded his understanding. This was a celebration, and the cake was so nice that it seemed like there was probably a set tradition for serving it. "Are there any other rules I should know?"

Mrs. Strife smiled kindly. "No, just have fun. We'll play some games when a few more kids have arrived. Cloud will help me to explain how to play, won't you?"

"You can count on me!" Cloud jabbed his thumb at his chest.

Birthday parties were very boisterous affairs. Sephiroth had attended several social functions at Shinra, but compared to Cloud's party, they were like night and day. When Johnny and several other children Sephiroth wasn't as familiar with arrived, they played a game that involved being blindfolded, spun around until he was dizzy, then sent off to attempt to pin a tail on a picture of a chocobo. He wasn't very good at that game. It had appeared simple at first, but although he had been certain he was facing the right direction and could remember the approximate height at which he should place his pin, when he took off the blindfold, he was way off mark.

Skill didn't seem to matter much, however, and he even got a ribbon that said 'Good Job!'. Shrugging, he pinned it to his shirt, then helped Cloud and the rest of the children with theirs so they wouldn't hurt themselves. They went outside and played a game called tag while Bob barbecued hamburgers on the big grill he had wheeled down from his house. Sephiroth found that he was _too_ good at tag, and that didn't seem fair, so he helped Mrs. Strife with carrying things to the picnic tables instead.

Cloud insisted that they sit together at the table, and Sephiroth stuffed himself with three hamburgers and several cups of an overly sweet, carbonated beverage that he was certain Hojo wouldn't allow if he knew about it. Cloud and Johnny talked excitedly about the latest issue of the mouse comic. It had come out on Wednesday, and he had read it out loud to Cloud since he was so slow at reading compared to him. He had to also admit that he liked making up voices for each character. It made it more exciting. He had been thinking about it a lot since then, wondering what was going to happen and coming up with ideas. Feeling defiant of Hojo's disapproval, he poured himself another fizzy drink and leaned in to share his theory about the missing food supplies.

"Who's ready for cake?" Bob suddenly called out, interrupting Cloud and Johnny's rather poorly thought out idea for how they could make a fort in the forest. Sephiroth made a mental note to try and come up with something better as he turned his attention to Bob.

The kids quieted as Mrs. Strife stepped outside carrying the cake, then they began to sing in unison as she approached. Sephiroth looked around in confusion. Everyone was singing except for Cloud, and Sephiroth felt certain that he was supposed to be singing as well, but he didn't know the song! The lyrics were simple, at least, and he was just about to attempt to follow along when Mrs. Strife placed the cake, which had seven burning candles in it, in front of Cloud and they all went quiet again.

"Make a wish!" someone yelled.

Cloud closed his eyes, then took a deep breath and blew out most of the candles.

"Ha! Two girlfriends!" Johnny said, pointing at the two candles that were still burning.

"Ew, no way!" Cloud blew again and Mrs. Strife took the cake back to begin slicing it and putting it onto paper plates.

Sephiroth accepted his quietly, and let Bob dole out a big spoonful of ice cream, but he felt like he didn't deserve it. Cloud was still smiling, it was true, so he clearly hadn't ruined everything, but he knew he should have done more research.

"Sephiroth, what's wrong?" Bob asked, frowning.

"I didn't know the song," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Se—Alde, I'll be back in a moment. Come with me, Sephiroth, let's have a chat." Bob put down the ice cream scoop and took him around to the front of the house to sit on the porch.

"I'm sorry," he said again as he sat down. "I can leave."

"You'll do no such thing, son, and there's nothing to apologize for, so I don't want to hear that again."

"But I should have known it," Sephiroth protested. "I thought it was okay because some of the kids didn't know the rules for the games too, but they all knew the song."

Bob wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in tightly against his chest, making Sephiroth stiffen. He had gotten used to Cloud and some of the other kids hugging him, but he'd never been hugged by an adult before. "They all grew up with it, Sephiroth. They've heard it countless times, so of course they know it, but you didn't, and that's okay. I'm sorry I didn't think to tell you ahead of time and that it made you feel awkward, but you can trust me when I say that nobody minded."

"Really?" The hug was actually quite comforting, and Sephiroth relaxed a little bit.

"Really. _If_ anyone even noticed that you weren't singing, they would have thought that you just didn't want to sing, which is also okay. Not everyone likes to. Personally, I just move my lips and pretend to sing. Nobody wants to hear my attempts at a melody."

Sephiroth lifted his head and blinked a few times. His eyes felt like there was some sort of pressure behind them. "You're sure?"

"I'm—"

"Sephiroth? Where'd you go?" Cloud poked his head around the corner. "Are you in trouble for something?"

Bob let go of him and patted his back. "Not at all. Run and get Sephiroth's cake for him, then will you help me teach him the happy birthday song?"

"Sure!" Cloud disappeared again, seemingly unfazed by his ignorance.

XXX

He was feeling much better by the time they gathered inside to watch Cloud open his presents. It helped seeing how happy he made everyone when he took the final swing at the funny thing called a piñata and cracked it open, spilling candy everywhere. And like Bob said, it seemed that nobody even realized that he hadn't known the song. He was glad he knew it now, though. He would sing next time.

They sat on the floor in the living room as Cloud tore into colourful paper that kept what was inside the packages secret. Cloud got several new books and toys, as well as a plush mouse with a sword that made him shriek in delight.

"Looks like that's everything, Cloud," his mother said. "What do you say?"

"Wait," Sephiroth interrupted. "I didn't give mine."

Mrs. Strife looked towards him in surprise. "Oh, I didn't realize. Bob told you that you didn't have to, right?"

"He said, but I wanted to. It's not very good, though. I couldn't think of anything." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope. "I didn't know about that nice paper, either."

"That's fine, Sephiroth. I'm sure Cloud will like it, whatever it is."

Cloud was practically bouncing with excitement. "Can I open it? Can I open it?"

Smiling, Sephiroth handed over the envelope.

"Coupon," Cloud read out loud when he took out the paper inside. "Good for one favour." Cloud stopped reading and stared at the paper with wide eyes.

Sephiroth flushed and reached to take it back. "It was just a joke, I'll get you a real present."

Cloud slowly lifted his head. "Any favour?" he said disbelievingly. "Anything at all? You'll do what I say?"

"Yeah, but—"

"This is the best present I've ever gotten!" Cloud yelled, clutching the coupon to his chest. "I'm gonna save it for something _super_ important! Oh, man, I can't believe it! Thank you!" Cloud ran over and hugged him, then showed it to the other children, though he wouldn't let them touch it. "Look, it's made out to me. Right there: For Cloud. See? No one else can use it."

To his surprise, the others seemed to think it was a good present as well. They gave Cloud all sorts of suggestions for favours he could ask for, and Cloud took them all into careful consideration. It was funny, since everything they suggested were things he'd been doing all summer long, with no coupons involved.

He stayed after the children had been picked up by their parents to help clean up, though Cloud demanded that the decorations remain up a while longer. Mrs. Strife insisted he stay for dinner as well. It was nice sitting at the table with her and Cloud, and he wondered if most families ate their meals like that. He knew that it was probably because it was more convenient for her, but it made him surprisingly happy when she said that he should just come for dinner every night instead of eating alone. They had more cake for dessert, and ate it while sitting out on the porch and listening to the crickets chirp.

"Happy birthday, Cloud," he said quietly.

"Are you gonna invite me to your birthday party?"

Sephiroth turned and looked at his friend, who was still wearing his party hat. "Sure, but you might have to come to Midgar."

"I always wanted to go to the big city. Can I sleep over at your house?"

He thought of his small, well-organized apartment and the disaster Cloud would definitely make of it. "Sure."


	10. Day 60

A/N: The last chapter will probably be delayed a little bit, but hopefully not too much. I want to revise it a little bit, but it's my last week of class for the term and I haven't had time. And next week I plan to resubscribe to FFXIV and save my poor house from imminent destruction/play the new patch. I'll try to get it up by early the following week, however.

XXX

He was deliberately being slow, he knew, but Sephiroth couldn't make himself go any faster as he walked through the house, checking for any forgotten items. He was going to miss this place. It had become his home over the past two months, and though it certainly surprised him, he was reluctant to leave. He paused by the bed and looked at the notches he had made on the wall. When had it changed from counting down the remaining days he had to suffer through to a nightly reminder that his time was running out? He pulled out his knife and carved a final slash across the last four lines, then, on impulse, signed it with a jagged S.

"You're really going?" a small voice asked from the doorway.

Sephiroth turned from the wall and nodded to Cloud. "Yeah, I am. I have to."

Cloud sniffled and came a few paces closer. "I don't want you to."

"I don't really want to either. I thought I would." Sephiroth sat down on the bare bed and patted the spot next to him. When Cloud sat down, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and let him lean against him. "I hated that they sent me here. I couldn't wait to be able to go back to Midgar. But now … I don't want to go."

"Can't you stay?"

"No, they won't let me. Honestly, now that I think about it, I don't know how Colonel Taisha convinced them to let me come here for so long."

"Who's them?"

"Shinra. The company I work for."

"Working doesn't sound like very much fun."

"I don't usually mind being a SOLDIER, but there's parts of it I don't like, especially now that I know what it's like away from the company. But you know, even though I'm going to miss you and everyone else here, I'm glad I came. It wasn't long enough, but getting to meet you and Mayor Lockheart and Tifa and Ricky and your mom … you guys made my life so much better. Thank you."

"We made your life better?" Cloud blinked up at him.

"Especially you. You know I never knew how to catch frogs or skip stones? I didn't know what a treehouse was or why we might want one. And I didn't know how cool it was to watch a butterfly come out of its cocoon. Or what to do when the floor is lava. Or how much fun it is to explore an alien planet with my friend." Sephiroth paused and looked down at Cloud before hugging him tightly. "I didn't even know what it was like to have a friend. So thank you."

"Will I still be your friend? Even after you leave?"

"You'd better be. I'm going to write to you as soon as I get back and I want a reply."

Cloud grinned and nodded. "I'm going to write a letter as soon as you leave."

"Deal," Sephiroth said with a smile. "No matter what, don't forget that you're my best friend, and I'm yours. We'll write letters, and we'll see each other again, I know it."

He cut one of the now massive sunflowers to take back as a gift for Colonel Taisha, then Cloud rode on his shoulders for his final walk down to the village. He could see the waiting truck from quite a distance, and his footsteps grew slower and slower the closer he got.

"You're starting grade two soon, right?" Sephiroth asked. He knew the answer, but Cloud was excited for it and he wanted to give him something happy to think about as a distraction.

"Yeah! I'm gonna get real good at reading and writing, just you wait!"

"Good. School's really important, so work hard."

"I will. Hey, everyone's over by the water tower. Do you think they're waiting for us?"

Sephiroth sighed unhappily. "Yeah, I think they might be."

It looked like the entire town had turned out to say goodbye, and Sephiroth's chest felt strangely tight as he approached. A fairly new Turk—Sephiroth remembered his name was Tseng—was leaning against the big truck that had his stuff piled in the back.

"I was told you'd be chomping at the bit to get back to Midgar," he said, "and here I've been kept waiting nearly an hour for you to show up. Are you ready to go?"

Sephiroth glared, wondering who had said that about him. He was certain it wouldn't have been Colonel Taisha. He must have heard from Bob that he had enjoyed his summer. "Not yet. I need to say goodbye to everyone first."

Tseng grumbled angrily. "Well, hurry up."

Sephiroth patted Cloud's knees. "Hey, do me a favour. Distract this grump so I can say goodbye to everyone properly." He lifted Cloud down off his shoulders and the boy gave him a wicked grin before turning to Tseng.

"Hey! What's your name? Come look at the dinosaur park Sephiroth and I made!"

He laughed as Cloud managed to drag Tseng off, despite his protests. Sephiroth was glad to see that he wasn't the only one who wasn't able to resist the bizarre force of nature that was Cloud. He turned to the waiting group of people and smiled. "Thank you, everyone, for making me a part of your lives. I'm sure I didn't deserve half the patience you showed me, but I hope you know that I appreciate it."

Bob was blinking back tears as he clapped him on the shoulder and then pulled him in for a tight hug. "You deserved every bit of it and more. You're a good kid, Sephiroth, and don't you forget it. We're going to miss you."

"None more than Cloud," Mrs. Strife said softly. "Thank you for everything you did for him."

"I didn't …"

"You did," she insisted. "More than you'll ever know."

"Thank _you_ for keeping me fed all summer."

She laughed and shook her head. "It was my pleasure."

The goodbyes took both forever and not long enough. But when Cloud reappeared with Tseng, who now had dirt on his hands and the knees of his suit and a few twigs in his hair, Sephiroth stepped towards the truck, holding the flowers Tifa had given him in addition to the sunflower.

"Thank you, I hope I'll be able to see you all again soon." He turned to Cloud and held out his arms. Cloud took one look and burst into tears as he ran towards him, and Sephiroth gathered him into a hug. "Goodbye, Cloud. Don't cause your mom too much trouble, okay?"

Cloud nodded and said something, but it was incomprehensible through the tears.

"And remember that I think you're brave and smart and really cool, so you don't have anything to prove to anyone else. And if anyone gives you shit, tell them to take it up with me."

"You're not supposed to say 'shit'."

Sephiroth laughed and ruffled Cloud's hair before setting him down. "Neither are you. Don't forget to write to me, okay?"

Cloud gave a loud sniffle and nodded with determination as he wiped his eyes. "You too."


	11. Epilogue

A/N: Thank you for your patience. I meant to have this finished earlier, but there was drama with final papers and cockroaches, leading to a very dramatic hostage situation, and then I got sick, and tomorrow I get a brand-new vacuum cleaner that I bought with my Christmas money like some sort of adult. So I hope it's worth the wait.

XXX

"That's enough for today." Sephiroth sheathed Masamune and swept back his hair. The group of Seconds he was training let their swords drop and several collapsed to the ground. He sighed and shook his head, catching a glimpse of some familiar blond spikes as he did so.

Cloud was sitting up on the low wall that surrounded the training field, talking with Zack. He wondered if Cloud needed him for something, but was distracted when Second Class Kunsel approached.

"Sir, I got a hold of those files you wanted. The ones on Project S. They're flagged for you in the data room."

"Ah, thank you."

"Sir, may I speak with you for a second?"

"Cloud, what are you doing?"

Sephiroth turned to see Cloud approaching and Zack chasing after him, looking scandalized. "Just a moment, Cloud," he said, bringing Zack to a dead stop with his jaw hanging slack. "Thank you, Kunsel. I appreciate you hunting those down for me. I'll head up to the data room shortly."

He turned back to Cloud after Kunsel was on his way. "What is it?"

"Sorry for interrupting," Cloud said, suddenly shy. "It's just, I heard there's a mission to Nibelheim coming up and I wanted to ask if you could please put me on it." Cloud reached into his pocket and handed him a small piece of stiff paper.

Sephiroth stared at the ancient, but clearly well cared for paper. The edges were bent and turning brown, but the markers he had used to colour it hadn't faded at all. _Coupon. Good for one favour._ A lightness he hadn't felt in a long time worked its way to the surface of his emotions and he began to laugh. "I—" He tried to speak, but only laughed harder, recalling the look of overwhelming joy on Cloud's face when he had given it to him. Cloud had never used it, and Sephiroth had nearly forgotten he'd even made the stupid thing.

Finally getting his laughter under control, Sephiroth pulled himself together. "I can't believe you still have this."

"It's a wrench giving it up," Cloud grumbled, "but I told you I'd save it for something important, and if monsters are attacking Nibelheim, I've got to go help. Please?"

Sephiroth shook his head and handed the coupon back. "I've already assigned you to the mission, so you can hang onto that."

"Really?" Cloud clutched the paper tightly to his chest.

"Really." Sephiroth reached out to ruffle his hair like he always used to. "I'd rather have someone on the team who knows the area. You'll be getting your orders tomorrow morning. Now go on, I'm sure you've got guard duty or something."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Cloud beamed at him as he tucked the coupon into his wallet, then jogged off.

Sephiroth glanced at Zack, who was still gaping at him. "Stop staring, Zack. And I don't want to hear a word about it." He began walking to the main tower, intending to check out the files Kunsel had found for him.

Zack scrambled after him. "Will you at least tell me what the paper was? I've never heard you laugh like that."

Sephiroth smiled. "A coupon."

"And the deal with Cloud? Do you know him?"

"None of your business."

XXX

Sephiroth groaned and rubbed his temples as the truck they were in wound up the mountain road towards Nibelheim. He'd spent the drive continuing to go over the files Kunsel had found, and he just didn't know what to think anymore. Was he a monster? Something that had been created for the sole purpose of killing? He wasn't sure he wanted the answer, but something kept him reading file after file.

And now … to be going back to Nibelheim after nearly ten years. Would anyone even remember him? Cloud was the only person he'd stayed in touch with once he'd been sent to Wutai to fight in the war. The letters Cloud had sent, full of stories of random events, pictures and drawings, and even occasional squashed beetles or interesting rocks, had continued unrelenting through the war no matter how short or infrequent the replies Sephiroth sent in return were.

Ironically, now that Cloud had joined Shinra, it had become even harder to stay in contact with his friend. He was the head of SOLDIER now, and it was considered improper to be mingling with the infantrymen. It would be better once Cloud became a SOLDIER, but that thought made Sephiroth worry. Did he want to expose Cloud to an organization as shady as SOLDIER?

He sighed when the truck pulled to a stop and the driver announced that they had arrived.

"Zack, arrange for rooms at the inn for us. We'll do a short sweep of the town perimeter this afternoon, then begin the mission tomorrow. We won't need the infantrymen for the sweep." He looked over at Cloud, who was gathering up his gear. "Permission to visit family and friends, granted."

"Thank you, sir." Cloud pulled off his helmet and tucked it under his arm. "Mom'll be setting a place for you at dinner. Should I tell her …"

Sephiroth blinked in slight surprise, then gave himself a shake. Of course Cloud had told her they were coming. "I'll be there. Six-thirty?"

Cloud gave him a small smile and nodded. "As usual." With that, Cloud hopped out of the back of the truck while Sephiroth set about getting himself organized.

"You know Cloud's mom?" Zack asked, sounding incredulous.

"I spent some time in Nibelheim when I was younger. I didn't know how to cook, so Shinra paid her to feed me," he said shortly. It had come as a shock when he had learned that Mrs. Strife had been put on Shinra's payroll for the summer, but of course it made sense. A young, single mother wouldn't have been able to suddenly afford to feed a teenage boy, even if she had wanted to out of kindness.

Without another word, Sephiroth shouldered his bag and jumped down, only to come to a dead stop when he stepped around the side of the truck. The town square was crowded with people, and a large banner hung from the water tower.

 _Welcome home, Cloud and Sephiroth!_

He only had a second to stare before someone slammed into his chest and gripped him tightly.

"Welcome back! We've missed you!"

Bewildered, Sephiroth brought his arms up and patted the back of whomever was hugging him. "Um …"

The person stepped back and crossed her arms. "Do _not_ tell me you don't remember me."

Sephiroth stared for a second at the young woman dressed in a tasseled leather vest and cowboy boots. "Tifa?"

She burst into a smile.

"How the hell was I supposed to recognize you?" he asked, laughing. "You've grown up!"

"That's because you never came back to visit, you jerk!" She gave him a surprisingly firm punch on the arm, then handed him a fistful of wildflowers. "But I forgive you. Cloud told you I've been learning martial arts, right? Come see me practice sometime while you're here."

"All right." Sephiroth turned and saw someone else approaching, carrying a baby in his arms. "Ricky?" he asked.

"Just Rick now," the man said with a smile. "How've you been?"

Sephiroth shrugged off the question. "What about you? Who's this?"

"This is my lovely daughter, Sophie," he said proudly. "Want to hold her?"

"I …" Sephiroth took a step back. He'd never held a baby before.

"Oh, go on. She's not that breakable." Rick placed the baby in his arms before he could protest further, and Sephiroth held her as carefully as he could. She blinked her big brown eyes at him and made a gurgling noise that either sounded happy or like she was going to vomit. "There, you finally get to meet your namesake, Sophie. He didn't even panic much."

"Her namesake?"

"Closest we could get, at any rate, without inflicting years of bullying on her. I wanted Sephie, but Sheryl vetoed it."

"Sheryl's her mom?"

"Yeah." Rick smiled as he gently stroked Sophie's tiny hand. "She works in Rocket Town, but she'll be home day after tomorrow if you're going to be here that long. She'd love to see you again."

Sephiroth nodded slowly, taking in all the people who not only remembered him, seemed genuinely happy to see him again. "I think I can arrange that. What about you?"

"My job is taking care of my little girl." Rick took Sophie back and bounced her in his arms, making her giggle. "I also do a bit of freelance journalism, putting out the town newsletter and that sort of thing. Speaking of which, I need you guys to pose for a photo at some point. It's big news when the local legend comes to town."

"All right, I'll let the others know." He jumped when a hand slammed down on his shoulder blades.

"Sephiroth, my boy! I see you've met my granddaughter!"

Sephiroth turned and was grabbed in a tight hug as Ricky laughed. Bob's beer belly hadn't gotten any smaller, and Sephiroth struggled to regain his dignity as he caught a glimpse of Zack staring at him. When it became apparent that Bob wasn't letting go until he had been hugged back, he sighed and wrapped his arms around his back as far as he could reach. He had to admit, he had missed Bob's hugs.

When he was finally released, Bob held out his hand to shake. "Welcome back, Sephiroth. It's good to see you again. Now, I'm afraid we had to tear down your place a couple years back, but I turned Rick's old room into a guest room, so you've got that."

He shook his head, trying to ignore the sting of sadness he felt at knowing his house was gone. "There's no need, we'll stay at the inn."

"Nonsense." Bob began to lead him towards his house as he spoke. "Alde wanted to have you stay with them, but she's really got no room with Cloud there as well. I assume you're going there for dinner?"

"Yes, but I need to do a sweep of the perimeter first."

"Well, I won't keep you, then. Just come in and drop off your things first."

Helpless to do anything else, Sephiroth followed Bob inside, but he paused in the entryway when a framed chunk of wood caught his eye. "What's this?"

Bob looked over his shoulder. "We couldn't save the house," he said. "A bad storm that winter caused the roof to collapse from the weight of the snow. But SOLDIER First Class Sephiroth's first piece of vandalism? That was worth digging through the rubble for."

There was no glass on the frame, and Sephiroth ran his fingers over the tally marks and his jagged initial. It was like seeing the coupon again after all those years, and he laughed, feeling that same lightness again. "It's probably worth something," he said, "if you sold it to my fan club."

"Ha! And give it up? I think not. Now go put your things upstairs. You remember your way around, right?"

Sephiroth nodded and went upstairs to the room at the end of the hall, which was lined with family photos. He paused again when he saw several pictures that included him. The bed in Ricky's old room had the same quilted blanket that had been on his bed in the old house. Bob must have been the one who supplied the bedding there. He set his bag down and ran his hands over it, recalling the fort he and Cloud had made with it one stormy afternoon.

"Get lost?" Bob asked and Sephiroth turned back to see him standing in the doorframe.

He shook his head, feeling strange. "Thank you," he said softly. "It feels like … it feels like coming home."

Bob smiled knowingly. "Welcome home, Sephiroth. I missed you."

Sephiroth swallowed uncomfortably and just nodded.

"We weren't sure when you'd be getting in so didn't want to plan anything for today, but tomorrow night we're having a pot luck dinner for you and your men. I'll be barbecuing steaks, so work up an appetite."

He nodded again. "Yes, sir."

"Go on and see to your patrol, then. Don't want to keep Alde's dinner waiting."

"Yes, sir." He paused as he went to open the front door. "Bob, when I get back tonight, can I ask you for some advice?"

"Of course, son. I'll be waiting."

XXX

Sephiroth was feeling better than he had in a long time by the time he had stuffed himself full of the stew Alde had often made for him over the summer. Sitting with her and Cloud around the table brought back all the memories he had shoved to the side. He had been so happy here. Why had he never come back? He glanced around the small room that served as both the living and dining room, and his eyes fell on the mantle, which held a battered plush mouse that he knew had, at one point, wielded a sword.

"Cloud?" he asked, staring at it.

"Mm hmm?"

"Do you still have those comics?"

Cloud grinned and kicked him under the table. "Wanna read them?"

He laughed and nodded. "I never got to see how it ended."

As usual, Cloud didn't question it. "Start from the beginning or where you left off?"

"From the beginning. I want to refresh my memory."

"Don't you stay up all night reading, young man," Alde said sternly as Cloud pulled down the ladder to the attic.

Sephiroth suppressed a grin. "No, ma'am, of course not." He got up when Cloud shouted for him to help and took the large, heavy box he passed down.

"First half of 'em. That enough for one night?"

"I certainly hope so. Even I don't read that fast."

Cloud grinned and slid down the ladder, then sat on one of the lower rungs. "Are you okay, Seph?"

"Fine," he started to say, then stopped himself, seeing how concerned Cloud looked. Of course he had noticed something was wrong. "Can you come over to the Lockheart's after dinner? I know you probably want to catch up with your mom, but there're some things I want to get off my chest and—"

"Sure," Cloud said easily. "Don't worry, if we're staying long enough for you to read all of these, mom'll have plenty of time to nag me about girlfriends."

"Thanks."

They left the Strife's house with the box of comics carried between them, and Bob chuckled when he opened the door.

"Found something to occupy your downtime?" he asked.

"Thought I'd catch up where no one's going to scold me for reading junk."

"Junk!" Bob scoffed as he took the box so they could get their boots off. "Clearly the opinion of a person who wouldn't know fun if it smacked them in the face."

"You're not wrong about that."

"Joining us for a bit of a chat, Cloud?"

"If you don't mind."

"Not at all. I've got the fire going, so how about we have a night cap and you can tell us what's on your mind. Let's just keep our voices down; Tifa's already sleeping. Master Zangan has her up at the crack of dawn every day."

It was undignified, he knew, for someone in his position to curl up on the couch in borrowed flannel pyjamas, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and sipping hot chocolate. The splash of whiskey Bob had added to the drink made him feel a bit less childish, but not much. It was nice, though, and the longer he sat there, the clearer his thoughts grew. Bob and Cloud sat patiently, sipping their own hot chocolate while they waited for him to speak.

"I don't know what to do," he finally said. "Everything … everything I thought I was … I don't think I am."

"What did you think you were?" Bob asked.

"A hero. Someone special." He glanced over at the box that held the stories filled with characters he had imagined he would be like.

"And what makes you think that you're not?"

Sephiroth took a deep breath. "It … it started with Wutai. They said it was for their own good. That we were helping the people there by bringing them mako power. It would make their lives better. But …"

"They didn't want your help," Bob said without any accusation in his tone.

"I just followed my orders. The people we were _helping_ called me the Demon of Wutai or the Nightmare. Everyone said it was good. Names like that showed how powerful I was. That the project was a success." He gripped his mug tightly and stared at the air bubbles that floated on the surface. "It was so hard to come up with things to tell Cloud in my letters. I knew you'd be so disappointed in me if you knew what I was really doing. That's why I didn't send many. I'm so sorry."

Bob's thick hand closed over his and squeezed tightly. "Go on, it's good to get these feelings out." Cloud didn't say anything, but snuggled up against him in his own blanket like he always used to when they read together.

"I went back to Midgar a hero. It was like they had always said: I was the best. They threw a fucking parade in my honour. Everyone wanted to be around me. My bed had a constant flow of traffic through it. Anything I wanted, I could get. And it was all lies. I was no hero. I'd just slaughtered a bunch of innocent people and helped a corporation take over their land. I hated myself."

He sighed and took a sip of his hot chocolate. He couldn't bring himself to look at either of them, but the hand on his hadn't so much as twitched, not even at the mention of his endless parade of one-night-stands, and Cloud just made a soft humming noise, showing he was listening.

"When things died down a bit, it got easier. My missions were mostly around Midgar, fighting the never-ending supply of monsters. That felt better. I was protecting people. I wasn't ashamed to tell Cloud about stuff like that. When you started telling me about your plans to join SOLDIER, I was happy. I—" Sephiroth laughed at the image he conjured up. "I imagined we'd be like Saxon and Kenzie, from the comics, like we used to pretend."

Bob chuckled. "Cloud wouldn't let anyone else play Saxon after you left."

"Of course not!" Cloud said indignantly. "That was _your_ role."

He smiled briefly, thinking of all the fun they'd had pretending to be the two warrior mice who were the best of friends. The smile slipped from his face quickly, however. "Lately … things have been getting worse again. I keep getting sent to deal with anti-Shinra groups. Killing people whose only crime is not wanting to live under Shinra's thumb. And I do it because that's what my purpose is. I follow orders and I kill the things I'm told to kill. I don't want you to turn into someone like me. Even the monsters, yeah, I protect people from them, but only when I'm ordered to. And … people have been investigating, though it doesn't take a genius to figure out. They're increasing because of mako. The ones here, even, I'm certain are because of a problem at the old reactor. And—" Sephiroth choked, wanting to curl up in a ball on the couch and hide from the world like a baby.

"And?" Bob asked gently.

"I've been doing research of my own lately. Into my past and where I came from. I … I don't think I'm human. I think I'm just a monster that Hojo made. That's why I'm able to do all those awful things."

Part of him expected both Bob and Cloud to recoil in horror, and he was eternally grateful that they didn't, but they didn't say anything, either and the room fell silent except for the crackling of the fire.

"Did Colonel Taisha ever tell you how we met?" Bob eventually asked.

"No."

"It was in the first Wutaian war, before your time, when Shinra was just starting to expand. Ger and I were soldiers and fought together over there. Shinra kept a tight lid on its propaganda the second time around, but let me tell you, I have no difficulty imagining what you did because we did it too. War … war makes monsters out of everyone. We … _I_ did absolutely unforgivable things, and like you, we came back heroes. We didn't even win the damn war."

"I didn't know you were a soldier, Mr. Lockheart," Cloud said softly.

"It's not something I brag about. I ran away to Nibelheim. Tried to forget and maybe earn back a bit of my humanity by making this town a better place. I like to think I did not badly. Ger was braver than me and stuck it out. I think that decision weighed on him sometimes, but I know he was glad he did."

"Why?" Sephiroth asked.

"Because he had the opportunity to ship some young punk off to the ass end of nowhere for a couple months so he could learn a little bit about being a person instead of the mindless weapon Shinra was trying to turn him into."

"Huh?"

Cloud burst out laughing and set his hot chocolate aside before punching him on the arm. "Ya punk!"

"It didn't work, though," Sephiroth protested.

"Didn't it? Because I just heard a very heartfelt confession from that very same young punk who hated what he had to do to fulfill his orders. Like I said, Sephiroth, we all do awful things in war. The awful people are the ones who don't care, and you did. Cloud shared your letters with us. He was too young to understand what you weren't saying in them, but I saw how much you were hurting."

"You're not a monster, Seph." Cloud squeezed his hand tightly. "It doesn't matter if Hojo cooked you up in a vat or if you were one of two point five children with a mom and a dad and a dog named Rover. You're my best friend. You always have been."

He finally looked at Cloud and caught his eyes. Cloud had lost a lot of his childhood innocence, but he was still so honest. "You really think that?"

"Think? I know it. There's no way a monster would have put up with me bothering them every day for two months without turning to murder. Not only did you put up with it, you wore a party hat. You say you're sorry you didn't send many letters, but you sent them. I may have been too young to read between the lines, like Mr. Lockheart said, but I understood that you cared about me. Those letters got me through some of the hardest times I had growing up."

Sephiroth found himself blinking rapidly to stave off the tears that were threatening to fall, and he leaned over to hug Cloud. "Yours did too. Thank you."

"Sephiroth, have you considered leaving Shinra?" Bob asked after a few minutes.

"I … I've thought about it, but I can't just leave."

"Can't you? You've given them twenty-five years of your life. I think that's plenty to devote to a job you didn't sign up for."

"And it's making you miserable," Cloud said.

"But you—"

Cloud shrugged. "Don't worry about me. I can serve out my contract as an infantryman if you don't think SOLDIER is going to be what I hoped. I've got less than a year left, then I can find something else to do."

"Just like that?"

"Oh, c'mon, I'm sixteen. It's hardly too late for a career change. You're not exactly yesterday's news, either."

"I don't know what I'd do, though. I've never even thought about doing something else."

Bob clasped his hands together and hummed thoughtfully. "Why don't you come back here for a while? I've got the room here you can stay in until we can sort out rebuilding your old place. You can take some time to do a bit of soul-searching and see what strikes your fancy. In the meantime, there are plenty of towns around here that have monster issues that Shinra will never bother with. You said you liked protecting people, so why not hire yourself out as a mercenary? They wouldn't be able to pay you much, but you'd be doing good work and you could make enough to get by."

"I … I could help with other things too," Sephiroth said slowly as his thoughts churned. "Like the road …"

"Now you're thinking." Bob clasped his shoulder. "You're a good kid, Sephiroth, and you deserve to be happy. So think it over tonight, then take the plunge if you think you're up for a challenge."

"Okay. I suppose that involves going to bed at some point." It was getting late and they needed to be up early tomorrow to go to the reactor. He wasn't quite ready to move yet, however.

"Can I sleep over tonight?" Cloud asked as if reading his mind and understanding that he didn't want to be alone.

Bob chuckled and nodded. "As long as you two don't mind sharing the bed. Give your mom a call so she doesn't worry, and I'll find a spare toothbrush."

Sephiroth couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of leaving Shinra as he and Cloud brushed their teeth and quietly crept past Tifa's room. Could he really do it? Would they even let him? Surely they couldn't stop him. He wasn't a slave.

"I can't believe Ricky has a kid," Cloud said as he crawled into the bed.

"No kidding."

"And you've had sex with like a million people. Sure you don't have one too?"

Sephiroth laughed half-heartedly, but rolled away. "I'm sure. It … made me feel less empty, even if just for a bit."

He gave a start when Cloud's chest pressed up against his back and an arm wrapped around him. "Not wanting to feel empty is a very human thing. Even if it's just temporary, or just physical, everyone wants to feel like they're not alone. You're not alone."

He reached up and clasped his hand over Cloud's, holding it tightly to his chest. "Thanks, Cloud."

He hadn't expected to be able to sleep, but the next thing he knew, the sun was shining and Bob was knocking on the door. Cloud was still cuddled up firmly behind him, and he gave Sephiroth another tight squeeze before sitting up and rubbing his eyes blearily.

"Morning, sleepyheads," Bob said, laughing. "That bouncy SOLDIER, Zack, was in a bit of a tizzy about your plans for the day, so I invited him and the other fellow over for breakfast. They're waiting, so come on down."

"How did you sleep?" Cloud asked as they stumbled out of bed and found some slippers to wear.

"Better than I have in a very long time," he answered honestly.

Bob was setting out huge stacks of waffles on the table as they entered the dining room. "Go on, eat while they're hot," he said to the two who were already seated.

"Thanks, sir, you didn't have to go to all this trouble," Zack said as he loaded one up and grabbed some bacon.

"It's no trouble. My daughter never lets me cook waffles for her anymore—too unhealthy." Bob patted his stomach and laughed. "But me? I love an excuse to have a morning feast."

"So about today, Sephiroth," Zack said around a mouthful of food, "I was talking to Bob's daughter earlier, and she's going to show us the route to the reactor. She said it'll take about two hours each way, so we should probably get going soonish."

Sephiroth felt Zack's eyes on him and the flannel pyjamas he was still wearing. The infantryman would have a story to tell when he got back, that was for sure. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to will away the headache he felt coming on. "Sure."

"Do you _need_ to come?" Cloud asked. "I mean, I'm sure the three of us can handle the monsters on the way, and if we can't figure out the problem at the reactor, we could call and have you walk us through it."

Sephiroth laughed. For whatever reason, the idea of not going to the reactor sounded like the best idea he had ever heard. "I haven't quit yet, Cloud," he said reluctantly.

"No, but you're entitled to a personal day."

"A personal day?"

"The fact that you asked that says you need one. We can handle it, right, Zack?"

"Um, yeah, no problem." Zack sounded confused, but not annoyed. "You feeling okay, Sephiroth?"

"Yes and no," he answered after a moment's thought. "If you think you're up to it, I would very much appreciate a … personal day."

"Of course."

"I'll keep my PHS on and with me, so if you run into any trouble, call. And if it seems too dangerous, just turn back and we'll all go tomorrow."

Cloud gripped his hand and smiled. "We'll be okay. Don't worry."

The waffles disappeared quickly and Zack, with his newfound authority, had the infantrymen out the door and heading north with surprising speed. "Want to get back in time for that barbecue!" he shouted over his shoulder as they left.

"We won't start without you," Bob shouted back.

Sephiroth helped Bob with the breakfast dishes, then showered and dressed before going to the Strife's to apologize for stealing her son on his first night back. Alde just laughed and invited him in for tea before setting him to work peeling potatoes for the pot luck. A veritable mountain of potatoes and a long talk later, she fed him lunch and sent him off with her thanks for the help. He found Rick and Sophie in the small park and spent some time with them, marvelling at how much work babies were.

He wandered up to where his house had been. The old shed was still standing, but nothing remained of the main structure. Staring at the empty lot, he didn't feel sad like he expected. Instead, he began to consider the possibility of building a new house on it, like Bob had mentioned. He had some money saved and could probably afford it. He'd plant sunflowers again, he decided. And he would put in a second bedroom so Cloud would have a place to stay as well if he wanted.

When he returned to town, he curled up on a chair on the porch at Bob's and opened up the first issue. There was a large stack beside him when his PHS rang, showing Cloud's name on the caller ID.

"Everything okay?" he asked when he picked up.

"All sorted, not to worry. I just wanted to let you know that we're about an hour out and starving to death. Can you tell Mr. Lockheart so he can fire up the barbecue?"

"Sure."

"Are you having a good day?"

Sephiroth smiled and nodded. "I am, thanks for suggesting I stay behind."

"You know me, I've got no problem telling you what to do. Zack's been grilling me and Tifa all day about what you were like as a teenager though. I think he's going to demand to see pictures."

"Oh dear," he said with a laugh. "I'll be sure to hide them before you get back. Be careful, okay?"

"We will. See you later."

XXX

"I do a good job peeling potatoes," Sephiroth commented as he scraped the last bit of mashed potatoes out of the bowl with his finger. It was late and the party had wound down a while ago. It had been nice seeing everyone again, and now, sitting around the fire with just Zack and Cloud … he felt happy.

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "I like it when there's bits of skin left."

He chuckled at Cloud's teasing and set the bowl aside. "I've come to a decision."

"Oh?" Both Cloud and Zack sat up eagerly.

"We're going to clear out the remaining monsters here over the next couple of days. With the leak at the reactor taken care of, they should go back to a normal level soon. I'm going to go back to Midgar with you guys, but only to pack up my things and hand in my resignation."

"Good for you," Cloud said. "Going to come back here after?"

He nodded. "I'll take Bob up on his offer of a place to stay. Your mom offered too, but I don't want to burden her. She's going to teach me how to cook, though. More than the survival cooking I manage now."

"You're really going to leave Shinra?" Zack asked.

"Yes, it's time. I'm done following their orders. So you'll have to take my place. Make sure the new SOLDIERs know what being a hero is about."

"What about you, Cloud?"

"I'll think about it," he said softly, looking up at the sky, "but I'll probably leave too. Hey, the aurora's out."

Sephiroth leaned back in his seat and stared upwards, feeling the same awe he had when Cloud dragged him up that rock the first night. "It's good to be home."

XXX

Thank you very much for reading!


End file.
